1. Field of the Invention
The invention involves new synthetic compounds related to thymosin .alpha..sub.1 and novel methods for the synthesis thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thymosins are polypeptide immune modifiers derived from the thymus gland. Thymosins have been shown to induce T-cell differentiation and enhance immunological functions.
A partially purified extract of calf thymus, called thymosin fraction 5, contains a number of peptide products of the thymus gland, including a component referred to as thymosin .alpha..sub.1.
Thymosin .alpha..sub.1 was initially isolated from thymosin fraction 5, and has been sequenced and chemically synthesized (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,079,127; 4,148,788; and 4,855,407).
The sequence of thymosin .alpha..sub.1 is highly analogous in mice, calves, and humans. Thymosin .alpha..sub.1 has 28 amino acids and has been shown to have activity in modulating the immune system. The immunological activity of thymosin .alpha..sub.1 includes stimulation of alpha- and gamma-interferon production, increasing macrophage migration inhibitory factor production, inducing expression of T-cell markers, including interleukin-2 receptors, and improving helper T-cell activity.
There remains a need in the art for new synthetic compounds which can function like natural products of the thymus gland, are stable, and are easy to synthesize.